Give the new schools lots of light.
Don’t forget the tiles thanking alumni donors.
Build classrooms that can incorporate technology not yet invented.
Those are just some directions for designing new schools on the Central Kitsap campus.
The district will replace Central Kitsap High and Middle schools. The work comes thanks to community support of a bond measure in February. That support will also provide major upgrades at two other schools and safety improvements districtwide.
District leaders and architects for the CK campus project have met with staff and students. And they recently met with representatives from PTSAs and CK High’s alumni association.
Architect Brian Carter talked with parents and alumni at a gathering in the CKHS library.
“The importance of your buildings to the community inspires us,” Carter said. He is a principal at Integrus Architecture, which will design the new schools.
“Our challenge is to ensure that we not only have spaces for student activities, but that those activities succeed,” he said.
Gathering Information
Architects and district project managers began an information-gathering phase of the design process early this year.
Along the way, they’ve shared scenarios. Each showed elements the buildings might contain — all of which were wrong, Carter joked.
But that's part of the process.
With each meeting, they get a clearer idea of what the schools should be like.
In the end, they'll need to design buildings that reflect school and community culture. Each school will have a separate identity but share some spaces, such as the kitchen. And it will be done between two existing schools on sloped terrain with 100 feet between its high and low points.
“I wouldn't want your job,” one crowd member told architects.
Deeper in Design
Soon, architects will create actual site plans and sketches for the new schools.
In the meantime, district project leaders will also work with a general contractor. They'll help figure out how to stage construction, keep costs within budget and keep the project on time. They'll also help answer questions like, where will people park during construction?
Sketches are expected in late fall. Construction is expected to begin in 2017.
See What Your Support Is Doing!
Thank you Central Kitsap community! With your support, our secondary students will get out of portables and into new classrooms. Security updates will make students safer. Critical repairs will help our schools last longer.
Visit our Construction Updates page to see what we're doing with your support.